Support
by Qym
Summary: After college, Chelsea finds herself pregnant and lost. Can Raven help her find her way? ChRave
1. Finding Comfort

**This is my second ChRave fanfic – please be gentle with me. Please leave reviews. I'd like to hear back on how I'm doing. No flames, though. Constructive criticism good. Flames bad. Since this fic is set when the characters are twenty-six or so, they might seem OOC, but I figure they would have matured and changed since high school.**

_Prologue_

"Chelsea Daniels, is this not the best day of our lives?" Raven Baxter beamed as flashes from several cameras went off. The bright blue of her gown was matched by the hundreds of other students around her, and for once Raven didn't mind that someone else was wearing the same outfit as her.

Chelsea smiled brightly, waving slightly to her parents, "Yeah! I mean, it came so fast. Graduating high school."

Eddie approached from the side, cap in his hands, "Hey girls. What up?"

Raven pushed him slightly, jokingly, "So, Mr. Graduate, how does it feel?"

He dusted his shoulders off with a casual flick of his wrist, "Not bad, not bad at all."

Chelsea's smile faded slightly, "It's a bummer, though… This is the end of the Three Amigos. We're all going to different colleges in different states…"

"We've got all summer to say good bye, Chels. Relax." Raven hugged her best friend tightly around the shoulders, "And we'll always be the Three Amigos, no matter how far apart we are."

Eddie briefly rested his hands on their backs, "Well, I gotta go. The 'rents want to take me to dinner."

As he left, Raven returned her gaze to Chelsea's slightly down-trodden expression. It hurt to see her best friend saddened on what was supposed to be the happiest day of their young lives. It didn't help that she'd been nursing an attraction to the goofy girl for almost a year.

"Come on, Chels, let's go see our parents. We'll hang out over the summer so much that you'll be happy to be rid of me in the fall."

Chelsea shook her head, "I'll never be sick of you."

"Well, just know that if you ever need my help, ever, give me a call." Raven stuck out her pinky, "Pinky promise me you'll call."

Chelsea's smile returned. Childish things always made her happy, "Pinky promise."

Their fingers locked briefly.

Summer couldn't last long enough for Raven, Chelsea, or Eddie. When fall came, they were disappointed, yet excited for the next step in their lives. Thoughts of college overrode thoughts of missing each other, and they sent e-mails constantly, along with the occasional phone call.

But it wasn't the same, and each knew they were slowly but surely drifting apart.

--

_Eight Years Later – New York_

Raven ran her fingers along the smooth wooden surface of her desk. The office hummed around and she couldn't help but smile. After four years of design school and many summers spent interning with all the right people, she was running a business of her own and had even designed her own fashion line – a line that was turning out to be very popular.

She had a few interns of her own, along with four or five designers working under her. Her lifestyle was laidback and she had enough money to live comfortably and support herself. Hell, she had enough money to support a few other people as well. She'd had a few relationships since graduating college, but nothing serious. Nobody could hold her interest for more than a week.

Her nails began tapping out little morse-code messages as her eyes fell on an old picture she had sitting on the edge of her desk. In the picture she had her arms wrapped around the shoulders of Chelsea and Eddie; they were standing in front of the Chill Grill with wide grins plastered on their faces. The picture was taken the day before going off to college for their freshman year.

The glass doors that separated the work area from the lobby swung open and Raven's secretary hustled in, looking harassed. Raven stared at the other woman, slightly confused. Lauren, the secretary, tugged on a loose strand of hair, a mannerism Raven knew meant the younger woman was nervous about something.

"Ms. Raven… there's a woman in the lobby who demands to see you."

"Does she have an appointment?" Raven questioned. She didn't recall an eleven o'clock appointment.

"No… but she won't leave until you talk to her. I normally wouldn't disturb you, but she looks like a wreck." Lauren glanced back towards the lobby, "She said you'd see her no matter what."

"Did you get her name?"

"Chelsea Scott." Lauren reported with another tug to her lock of hair.

"I don't think I know a Chelsea Scott."

"She said that if you didn't recognize that, you'd probably recognize her maiden name. Daniels."

Raven's eyebrows popped up, "Daniels? Chelsea Daniels? Lauren, I'm going out to lunch."

Lauren nodded, "Okay, I'll… just go back to answering phones…"

Raven pat her shoulder, "Relax. I know Chels from way back. You did the right thing."

Out in the lobby, Chelsea wrapped her jean jacket closely about her shoulders, wishing she'd thought to clean up somewhere before bursting in on Raven. She didn't know where else to go, though. Her hand went to rest on her enlarged stomach, eyes closing anxiously.

"Chelsea… is that really you?" Raven entered the lobby. It didn't seem possible.

"Rae…" Chelsea bit into her lower lip, knowing she must look terrible. Her jeans were muddy at the bottoms, matching her ripped and dusty sneakers. Her shirt was too small for her pregnant belly and her jacket barely covered her. She had a black eye and messy hair.

"Lauren, scratch my message, I'm leaving for the day. Move my appointments, please, with an apology. Thank you." Raven didn't wait for a response before grabbing Chelsea's arm and pulling her out of the office space. She didn't miss the slight wince that shuddered through Chelsea as she latched onto the limb.

Out on the street Raven paused long enough to eye her old friend and she found herself in a state of outrage. Something was obviously wrong; the Chelsea she knew would never leave the house looking like a homeless woman unless there was a very bad reason.

"Chelsea, first we're going back to my apartment to get you cleaned up, and then we're going to get a good meal in you. You can talk whenever you want, okay?" Raven gazed at her, knowing that if she pushed any line of questions, Chelsea might scare and run.

Chelsea's eyes were red-rimmed but she looked truly relieved to be with Raven. "Thanks, Raven… you have no idea how much I appreciate this."

Raven smiled, mind racing. What could have happened in the brief years between graduating from college and this point? It was true – she hadn't kept up with her friends when her career started taking off, and now she was regretting it.

"Don't sweat it, girl."

"I was just hoping… your promise still stood." Chelsea rubbed her stomach, eyes trained on the sidewalk.

"Promise?"

"High school graduation… That I could always come to you if I had a problem…"

Realization dawned on Raven, and her smile broadened, "Of course! Come on, just a few more blocks."

In Raven's apartment, Chelsea was hustled into the shower and given a set of clean clothes; black sweatpants and a light blue sweatshirt to accommodate for Chelsea's stomach. Raven waited patiently on her couch as Chelsea washed up and got comfortable.

Chelsea stared around the apartment with wide eyes. She knew Raven was well-off these days, but she hadn't imagined that one cozy apartment could be so lavishly decorated. Every wall had at least one tasteful painting or knickknack on it; the ground in each room was hardwood, though there was a colorful rug matched to the color scheme. Even the furniture looked expensive.

Raven chuckled when she noticed Chelsea's examination, "What can I say? Would you rather I kept all the money in the bank doing nothing? I can afford to buy silly things."

Chelsea nodded mutely and took a seat; she seemed afraid to ruin anything with her touch, though, and sat rigidly.

"Would you rather I ordered some pizza? We don't have to go out to lunch?" Raven offered, "And please, Chels, relax. You're not going to sully anything. I mean, I have a dog and he gets his fur on everything."

Chelsea raised her eyebrows, "You have a dog? Where is he?"

"Out with the dog walker, I expect." Raven ran her hand along the couch and pulled up a tuft of black fur, "He's a pretty big dog."

"What kind?" Chelsea asked, her eyes finally lighting up. Raven knew she'd found safe ground.

"He's some sort of mutt. I found him at the pound about half a year ago. He got me with his large brown eyes." Raven cooed, happy to gush, "His name is Ralph."

"Ralph…" Chelsea smile faded, "I have a dog, too…"

Raven scooted closer, setting her hand on Chelsea's shoulder. The buzz under her skin from merely touching the other girl was still there and only served to remind Raven of what she couldn't have.

"I'm listening."

"The reason I'm here… I left my husband." A few tears spilled from Chelsea's eyes unbidden. "I bet you didn't know I was married…" She laughed hoarsely.

"No, Chels, I didn't get that memo."

"It was kind of sudden, a few years ago… He came off like a really nice guy. We dated for a few months and he really had me thinking I loved him. And when he proposed after half a year, I said yes… I mean, I was seriously thinking he was The One…"

Raven had a feeling of foreboding flood over her, "What happened?"

"The first few weeks we were married were great. I mean, he treated me well, made me breakfast in bed, y'know, good husband stuff. But then he started getting so angry. I had asked him to take out the trash one night and he hit me…" Chelsea touched her cheek, thinking about it and shivering. "He apologized afterwards, told me he didn't know what came over him. Heck, he even went overboard trying to make it up to me. That's when we got Pepper, our dog."

"Did you tell anyone?" Raven asked, concerned. She'd heard stories like this and they all turned out the same way it seemed.

"No. He promised it would never happen again and I believed him." Chelsea pulled the sleeves up on the sweatshirt, revealing that her arms were covered in dull blue bruises. "As you can see, he lied."

Raven's breath hitched and her eyes narrowed. How dare that man do that to her girl?

"I put up with it, though. I knew it was my fault." Chelsea murmured. Every time he had hit her, it was over something she had done. "After I got pregnant, eight months ago, I was walking on eggshells. I didn't want him hurting the baby."

Raven nodded slowly, "You do know it wasn't your fault, right? It was never your fault."

"Don't worry about it, Raven. I accepted it. I'll live with my mistakes." Chelsea unconsciously pet her stomach, "But a week ago he threatened to divorce me and take the baby. I couldn't risk losing my little girl. So I ran…"

"You've been on the street for a week? With an eight months pregnant body?" Raven nearly yelled.

Chelsea shrugged, "It took me a while to decide where to go. I mean, my family is still in San Francisco and I couldn't go to his family. But I saw your clothes in a display case and hoped you'd help."

"It's official," Raven proclaimed, "You're staying here."

Chelsea blushed slightly, "I hate to impose… I was hoping you could spot me some money for a hotel."

"No way, girl! You are staying here and that's final!"

Chelsea clung to Raven almost desperately as the two hugged and Raven resolved to do everything in her power to provide for her fallen friend and unborn child. Maybe this time she would be able to admit her feelings. That would come with time, though. First she had to let Chelsea recover and move on.

"Chelsea, I want you to know that you and your daughter are welcome in my home until you want to leave," Raven whispered. "Pinky promise."


	2. Finding Support

**I don't own That's So Raven or any affiliated characters, yadda yadda yadda. Thanks for the reviews – they are all read and appreciated. So here's chapter two, to the best of my ability.**

Chelsea gazed at herself in the full-length mirror, face mostly void of emotion. She knew Raven wanted her to be happy but she couldn't smile. The feeling she had at the moment was fear, which she knew was absurd. Raven wouldn't hurt her, ever.

"So? Do you like it?" Raven was seated beside the mirror holding a few plastic bags in her hands. She'd hoped that getting Chelsea out and into new clothes would help improve Chelsea's mood.

"Yeah, Rae, it's great." Chelsea turned slightly so she could see how far out her stomach had stretched. It wasn't far, and for that, Chelsea was grateful. Twins wouldn't fit into that space, not unless they were really small kids. Sure, she wanted her little girl, but only one for now.

The sight of Raven's smiling face reminded her of the worry easing through her body. Before getting married, her husband Walter had treated her to outings similar to this. Usually it was followed by a light dinner and a romantic evening back at his apartment. She closed her eyes, fighting tears.

Raven was at her side in a heart beat, "Here, Chels, let's get you out of this and I'll pay. We can get some lunch, okay?"

Chelsea nodded and hated herself for allowing a backwash of bad emotion. Over the past few days she'd suffered through quite a few. Little things nearly set her off – like the shopping. Try as she might, she couldn't keep Raven from finding out.

Peeling the maternity dress off, Chelsea handed it over the door of her dressing room. She wasn't sure why they were shopping; she was nearly due to deliver, so whatever maternity wear she purchased would be used for a few weeks, a month at the most. Raven insisted, however, that Chelsea allow herself to be pampered.

Back in her everyday clothing, Chelsea wandered through racks of clothing, taking her time before meeting up with Raven at the registers. Her fingertips trailed over the folded shirts but she didn't bother looking at them.

It was ridiculous, she decided, to assume Raven would be courting her in the same way that Walter had. Raven's current devotion to her was probably pity. That and perhaps some deeply rooted guilt that she hadn't helped Chelsea earlier. Chelsea blushed slightly – it wasn't that she was against affection from Raven, just that she found it highly doubtable that Raven would cast attention on her.

After all, Raven was a well-to-do, high powered woman who probably had a list of men she could call upon at any given time for a date. And as far as Chelsea knew, Raven wasn't into women. If past experiences were anything to judge by, Raven was the straightest girl she'd ever met. Chelsea wasn't against a relationship dealing with the same gender; she liked to consider herself rather pansexual. Love was love, regardless of age, gender, race, or whatever.

Raven finished making her purchases and wove through the aisles of new clothing. Upon spotting Chelsea, she subconsciously smiled goofily. Chelsea met her gaze and smiled back, though her smile wasn't as happy. It seemed almost forced – Raven was slightly disappointed. She was trying so hard to get Chelsea back on her feet and help Chels through this whole mess, but she didn't know how to help. She wasn't a walking psychological dictionary.

"Ready for some lunch?"

Chelsea shrugged her shoulders but nodded. It would take a few minutes, but the ill-feeling would pass. The best thing for now was to get out of the store and get some fresh air. Raven laced their arms together and led them out the large doors and into the warm afternoon sunshine.

Feeling bold, Raven eased herself closer, so they were walking shoulder to shoulder. When Chelsea didn't complain, Rae took it to be a good sign; she made no move to step away. Chelsea was relaxing slowly, glad for companionship that wasn't demanding.

"Where are we eating?" Chelsea whispered. There was no need to talk any louder at this proximity.

Raven ignored the excited shivers that whisper evoked, "A little Italian place. They just opened a few months ago, but they are delish."

"Can I treat?"

"No! This is your day to relax, kick back, be pampered."

"Rae, you treat me to every meal, every day," Chelsea retorted, though her heart wasn't in it, "Please, let me do something for you."

Raven shook her head, "You'll get your chance after your baby is born. Until then, you are to have no worries. Doctor's orders."

"We haven't gone to the doctor, yet." Chelsea glanced at Raven's wrist, "What time is it anyway? I don't want to be late."

"Don't worry!" Raven guided them along and into the restaurant, "I'm very aware of when your appointment is."

"So what time is it?" Chelsea persisted.

"It's twelve-thirty. Your appointment is at four-fifteen. We've got plenty of time." Raven smiled at the host, a skinny whip of a fellow dressed formally in black slacks and a white button down shirt. "Table for two?"

"Right this way," he bowed his head slightly and picked up two menus. He weaved through the many tables to a booth near the back of the restaurant, where he waited patiently for his customers to take their seats. "Juan will be your waiter – he should be by shortly."

"Thanks…" Raven glanced to the host's name tag, "Tim."

Tim nodded curtly and returned to his podium. Chelsea had to contain a giggle; she found it fairly funny that Raven took the time to call all people by their names, even in situations where no offense would be taken.

"Why do you do that? Use his name, I mean?"

Raven shrugged. "I don't know. Just seems nice. Besides, it doesn't hurt anyone."

Chelsea smiled and turned her attention to the menu, "What are you having?"

"I was leaning towards the Zuppa Toscana."

Chelsea blinked blankly, "I was just going to have spaghetti."

Raven chuckled, "If you want."

A few minutes later Juan approached and took their orders and left them in peace. Raven watched him go, eyes lingering on him. Chelsea noticed, narrowing her eyes slightly. She felt a tinge of – she jerked upright in her chair. What exactly was she feeling, she questioned silently. The last time she'd felt like that was when Walter had been eyeing another woman.

"Earth to Chelsea," Raven waved a fork in front of Chelsea's face.

"Huh?" Chels shook her head quickly and smiled.

"I asked if you had thought of any names for the baby."

"Oh… Walter was going to name her Sonia." Chelsea murmured, playing with her napkin and dropping her eyes.

"What were you going to name her?" Raven emphasized the 'you', sensing that Chelsea hadn't been fond of that.

"I wanted to name her Raven." Chelsea blushed fiercely.

Raven's face broke into a wide smile, "After me?"

"Yes… but I can't anymore. Since you're here. Two Raven's is one too many divas." Chelsea joked.

"What other ideas did you have?"

"Maybe Hannah. I hadn't thought too hard about it, since Walter was set on Sonia."

"We—um, well, you still have a few weeks." Raven mentally kicked herself for slipping; she couldn't automatically proclaim them a "we" like that. After all, it was Chelsea's baby and it was Chelsea's job to pick a name.

"You'll help right?"

"Sure." Raven leaned back in her chair, sniffing the air, "I think our food is coming."

The rest of lunch passed quickly. Chelsea was slightly self-conscious of her manners, hoping they were up to par for the restaurant. She was too distracted to notice Raven sneaking in little glances at her as she ate. Raven paid the bill with one of her many credit cards and helped Chelsea to her feet.

"Shall I flag a taxi?"

Chelsea nodded, resting her hands by her side. The food, as Raven said it would be, was delicious. She was content to sit back and let the food settle. Raven stepped near the street, throwing an arm up. The first few cabbies ignored her but she persisted until one pulled to the curb. Acting as the gentleman, she pulled the door open and helped Chelsea in before sitting down inside as well.

It was a short ride – eight blocks west. If Chelsea weren't pregnant, Raven would have preferred a brisk walk. She'd come to enjoy the thick crowds, the honking, the small dogs, and tall buildings. San Francisco was bustling but it couldn't hold a candle to New York. When they arrived at the doctor's building, Raven once again held the door for Chelsea and attended to her friend as they got in the elevator and hurried up to the fifth floor – Prenatal care and nursery.

"Name?" The woman behind the main desk appeared flustered; it had been a busy day and showed no signs of letting up.

"Scott, Chelsea Scott. I have a four-fifteen appointment with Dr. Mossel." Chelsea retrieved a pen and scribbled her name onto the sheaf of attendance paper. Most of the names above hers were highlighted in bright yellow, marking that they had, in fact, seen the doctor already.

Chelsea ran a finger over her name, wishing it were different. Legally, her name was Scott still – at least until she had the time to revert back to Daniels. A silly part of her mind threw in that she wouldn't mind being Chelsea Baxter, either.

She slid the attendance sheet away from her and crossed to room to wait in one of the many comfortable chairs. Raven was already seated, flipping through one of the various ragged magazines. The way Raven was flipping through the pages made it clear that she wasn't actually reading. It was merely something to do with her hands.

Chelsea chuckled quietly. "Why are you nervous, Rae? I'm the one with the kid in my uterus."

Raven put the magazine back onto a pile, "Who knows. I guess I'm the father for now."

"So what are you? Man, woman, or magical beast?" Chels joked, easily falling back into old routine. Though eight years had passed, acting silly with Raven was natural. They had, after all, had these parts for fifteen years.

"I prefer to think of myself as goddess." Raven smirked.

"Mrs. Scott?" An orderly called from the doorway, "The doctor will see you now."

Chelsea got to her feet hesitantly, "Come with me?"

"Of course." Raven was at her side in a heart beat.

The doctor's room had starkly white walls, though a colorful pink and blue border danced along near the ceiling. Medical tools were placed neatly in easy to reach places, a few plastic chairs lined the wall, and a comfortable looking chair rested in the center. Chelsea eased back into the main chair while Raven took a seat along the wall.

"Well, Mrs. Scott," a tall woman with thin black glasses and sharp eyes entered the room. She had a pencil tucked behind her ear, "It's almost odd that you're switching doctors at such a late stage in your pregnancy."

"Please, call me Chelsea. And… I have my reasons." The last half of her speech dropped to near a whisper.

"And you are?" Dr. Mossel turned to Raven expectantly, "Surely you aren't the father."

"No, best friend and supporter. Raven Baxter." Raven held out her hand which the doctor shook firmly.

"Alright, let's get started."

Half an hour later the doctor was satisfied. She was able to show Chelsea an ultrasound of the baby, complete with miniature beating heart. She was able to confirm Chelsea's belief that the child would be female. Most importantly, at least to Chelsea, she was able to say that the baby was completely healthy and on schedule.

"I'll see you next week," Dr. Mossel handed a small white business card to Chelsea, "And every week until the baby is actually born."

"Thanks, Doc." Chelsea slid off the table, rubbing her stomach. Raven joined her and they turned to leave.

"Ms. Baxter, may I speak with you a moment?"

Raven pushed Chelsea gently, "I'll find you in the waiting room."

Chelsea nodded, glancing only momentarily at Dr. Mossel. Mossel waved good-bye before turning her attention to Raven.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Mossel enquired, "I know it's probably very personal, but I'd like to know what I'm dealing with. Should I expect a father to show up?"

Raven considered her options a moment before speaking. She could answer truthfully – after all, Chelsea had never told her not to say anything – but that seemed like a breach of trust.

"All I can say is that things with Mr. Scott were not too good. If he shows up, I'd ask you not to let him near Chelsea."

"I can't promise anything. If he is the child's father, and Chelsea's husband, I'm afraid he has more rights than 'best friend and supporter'." Mossel responded rather apologetically.

"I intend to fix that." Raven murmured, "I'm hoping to get Chelsea to start the divorcing process, soon."

Dr. Mossel nodded, "So I'll see you next week as well?"

"Of course." Raven smiled, "Good day, Dr. Mossel."

With that she exited the office and found Chelsea peering at the same magazine Raven had discarded earlier. Chelsea was smiling faintly and didn't notice Raven's approach. She jumped slightly as Raven startled her into attention.

"So what do you say we go celebrate the baby's health?"

Chelsea beamed, "I say sure."

It was times like this when Chelsea was glad to have a friend like Raven.


	3. Finding Fear

**Sorry chapter three took a little longer than I estimated. I've had it planned for a long time, but I got distracted by another story. My apologies. Once again, thanks for the reviews. OH! Slight language in this chapter. There's a warning. Oh, and if you have any suggestions for this story, my ears are open. This story is pretty much writing itself as it goes. I don't have it planned in any particular direction, other than getting that baby born.**

Chelsea ran her hands over Ralph, rubbing his thick black fur with a sad smile decorating her face. Raven was at work, had been for a few hours, and she was home alone. Well, Ralph was there, but he didn't quite count. Chelsea was feeling rather lonely and paranoid, but Ralph's fluffy body was the perfect outlet for her anxious energy.

She hadn't been too discreet when she'd left Walter and it wasn't as if she had left the state to get away from him. Truth be told, she where had been living was ten miles away; roughly a twenty minute drive. One of the things she hadn't told Raven about was her hitchhike into the city. It was stupid, it was dangerous, but she had been desperate. And her reasoning had assured her that nothing would happen to a beat-up looking pregnant woman, unless she happened to snag a ride with an extremely perverted driver.

A tear slid out from the corner of her eye, but she hid her face in Ralph's fur and it was soon lost to the world. Maybe, Chelsea considered, that's why Walter had gotten so angry. Her pregnant body must be hideous. She was large now and she knew that he had loved how she was so slim. It was a fact he used to repeat quite often during their lovemaking.

Ralph growled suddenly and got to his feet, shaking her off. He was a large dog, but not massive. When Chelsea stood up, he came up to her waist. Though he appeared mostly docile, he was quite intimidating with his hackles up and lips drawn back in a snarl. Confused, Chelsea watched as he padded to the front door and barked loudly.

A few moments later someone knocked on the door. Hesitantly, Chelsea went to look through the peephole. Unease had settled deep in her stomach but she wrote it off. It was silly, she told herself, to be worrying about a man that probably wouldn't bother putting the energy in towards finding her.

One glance through the peephole proved her assumption wrong.

"Chelsea Scott. Open the damn door!" He pounded his fist on the door, eyeing the round hole in the door suspiciously, "I know you're in there!"

Fighting the overwhelming urge to go hide in Raven's closet, Chelsea quickly locked the deadbolt and threw the chain into its place. Leaving Ralph to man, or rather dog, the door, she bolted from the front room, grabbing a phone. Thoroughly terrified, she dove into Raven's bed, pulling the covers over her head.

She tried dialing Raven's work number only to find that her hands were shaking too much to do anything properly. It didn't help her nerves to hear Ralph going nuts and the doorknob jiggling loudly.

"Chelsea! Get your ass out here!" His hollers were severely muted, but they rang loudly in her heart.

She gulped nervously and took a deep, calming breath. Her eyes closed and she tried to block out the noise. Concentrating on making herself deaf, Chelsea finally got the phone turned on and the right seven digits plugged in. It rang thrice before Raven's secretary answered.

"Raven's office, Lauren speaking."

"Please…" Chelsea hissed quietly. Silent tears had slid down her face. She had to pretend the sheets were a fortress, like she used to do when she was little and Eddie was being mean. "I need to talk to Raven."

"May I ask who's calling? And can I take a message?"

"Chelsea… And no! I need to talk to her!" Something inside Chelsea had snapped under the pressure, "Right now!"

On the other end, Lauren held the phone away from her ear a moment. She made a quick decision. "Look, I'll see if she'll take the call. Please hold."

Chelsea groaned softly as elevator music chimed through the receiver.

"Chelsea! Please, babe! I'm sorry! Just come out here!" Walter called, his voice softened now, but equally as loud. "I didn't mean to hurt you! Please, gimme another chance!"

"Does he mean it?" Chelsea whispered, thumb straying towards the power button on the phone. Maybe she didn't need Raven…

"Chels?" Raven greeted the red-head via the phone.

Chelsea bit her lower lip, "I… uhm…"

"Chelsea, are you okay? Did something happen? Should I come home? Call the cops? An ambulance? Your water didn't break, did it?" Raven questioned, working herself up.

"No." Chelsea took a ragged breath, "Walter's here."

She hung up and got out of bed, neatening her hair with an idle hand. Her make up was probably messed up beyond redemption, but she couldn't fix that now. She fixed a shy smile on her face and padded quietly to the front door. A hand on Ralph's back calmed the protective hound. Another hand undid the deadbolt and drew the chain.

"Chels, babe, you're not making a mistake." Walter vowed from the other side of the door.

The tone of his voice was completely sincere sounding and it melted her angry emotional barriers. With a small flip, the last lock was unlocked and she opened the door. As soon as the door was open, Walter barreled in. He looked about as happy as an agitated bull shark.

"Chelsea Scott, what the hell were you thinking?"

She gazed at him, eyes locking on his shiny black shoes. Without looking at him, she knew what he was wearing and what he looked like. Starting up with his head, he was bound to be wearing his red Yankees baseball cap, pinning down his black curly hair. His crystal blue eyes were probably staring at her, piercing her, and his thin, pale lips were probably drawn into a tight line.

As far as his chest was concerned, she bet he was wearing one of his plain black shirts – he had tons of mono-colored t-shirts, but she felt like today was a black day – followed by a pair of slim blue jeans. All she knew for sure, though, was that his shoes were abnormally shiny and his hands were strong; they hit her shoulders, grasping them tightly.

"Look at me, Chelsea." He demanded with quiet intensity.

Reluctantly, she let her gaze travel up his body and found that her guesses had been right down to the color of his shirt. When her eyes met his, she practically withered.

"Walter… I'm sorry." She murmured. It escaped her why she'd left him. Her memory just wasn't working anymore. His eyes normally had that effect on her.

"Chelsea, my car is on the street. You're going to get your stuff and get in that car and then we're going home, got it?" He used a touch of his muscular form to tighten his grip. Ralph growled angrily.

She winced at the pressure but nodded. "Yes, Walter."

"Did you call anybody? The police?" He spotted the empty phone holster.

"Yes."

"Who the hell did you call?"

"Raven Baxter. She owns the apartment."

"She better not call the cops." He shook her shoulders, knocking her head about.

"I told her that I was fine, really Walter." Chelsea fought to keep from crying out.

With a disdainful sigh, he released her and went to root around Raven's fridge. While he looked for a cold beer, Chelsea hurried to Raven's room. With an apologetic mumble, Chelsea borrowed one of Raven's duffle bags and opened the closet. It was painful to take all the nice clothing that Raven had bought for her, but it would be more painful to disobey her moody husband.

She was half-way packed when she heard the front door open again and Ralph howled. Abandoning her job, Chelsea peered around the bedroom door, watching in horror as Raven entered her home, a single police officer in tow. Suddenly there was nothing left in Chelsea's lungs. Walter was not going to be happy.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Raven Baxter. And I think I know who you are."

Chelsea clutched the doorframe, hoping to only be a bystander with this.

"Oh, so you're the one who's been hiding my wife from me." He stared at Raven, trying to intimidate her. Raven gazed levelly back.

"Oh, so you're the wife-beater," she retorted, venom lacing her words, "I won't let you touch her!"

The police officer reached for his handcuffs, "I'm going to have to ask you to come quietly, Mr. Scott."

"I'm sorry officer, but I don't know what you mean. I've done nothing wrong." Walter backed away, hands in the air. When he was cornered, he tended to revert to being charming. It was a safety mechanism that worked on Walter's family and acquaintances.

"According to Ms. Baxter, you've beaten Chelsea Scott to the point of her running away to escape the abuse."

Walter had the nerve to laugh out loud, "I don't know what story Chelsea cooked up when she came here, but it's not true. She's probably just looking for free clothing. Money's a little tight lately, with the baby coming and all. Don't take it personally, though." He directed his words at Raven, rather than the cop.

Chelsea gasped. How could he say that? She would never do that to Raven and it hurt her to even think about it. Luckily, Raven seemed to be of a like mind.

"I don't believe that for a second."

The cop held up the cuffs, "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Scott, but I still need to take you to station, just to clear up the misunderstanding."

Raven bristled, much like Ralph did earlier, "You can't let him go! She's got the bruises to support her story!"

"That may be, but until we can form a case and press charges, all we can do is hold him overnight." The officer looked quite apologetic.

"What if he comes back for her? I can't stay home twenty-four seven protecting her. I have a job, you know!" Raven shot back, unaware that Chelsea was listening.

Chelsea wanted to just die. She wanted to dig herself a nice little hole, crawl in it, and just die. Raven made it sound like she was a little kid. She couldn't take care of herself, just a pest for some babysitter to watch. Was it really such a chore to help her?

The half-empty duffle bag suddenly looked a lot more enticing. Chelsea hurried back to it and roughly shoved the rest of her clothing into it. Tomorrow morning, before Raven got up, she'd leave. She couldn't stay here knowing she was just a pain in the neck to the other woman.

Outside, the officer got Walter to come with him, without the handcuffs on. Raven sighed with relief and went to plop on the couch, letting her mind relax a moment. It took a few minutes for her to realize that something was missing from her life.

"Chelsea? Are you here?"

Chelsea shoved the bag into the back of the closet and wandered into the living room. Ralph barked cheerfully now, licking at her feet. Smiling sadly, she rubbed his scraggly head. She was going to miss this brave fellow when she left.

"Yeah."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

Raven didn't want to push Chelsea at the moment. Walter's appearance had probably shaken her friend and this was probably just residual fear running off.

"Why'd you let him in?"

"He apologized." Chelsea answered slowly, gaining strength, "He actually wants me around."

"What's that supposed to mean, girl?" Raven asked, utterly unaware of how much Chelsea had heard.

"I'm not a pesky little kid who needs to be protected, Rae. I'm a big girl now. I can take care of myself, okay?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I heard what you said, Rae. So don't play stupid."

Raven considered the earlier conversations in silence. Still troubled, Raven shook her head. "I still don't get it, Chels."

"Whatever." Chelsea shook her head, "I won't be a problem for much longer."

The ominous foreshadowing of those words was worrying.

"Chelsea, please talk to me." Raven begged. This wasn't going well.

"Just drop it, Rae." Chelsea walked back into the bedroom and shut the door with a smart slam.

Unsure of what just happened, Raven remained seated, trying to find some sense in that exchange. Why was Chelsea so riled? It didn't make sense. Did Chelsea really want to go back to Walter? Well, even if she wanted to, Chelsea was never doing that. Raven had already promised that to herself.

Inside the bedroom, Chelsea remained on the verge of tears. When she had first come to stay with Raven little more than a week ago, she'd felt extremely guilty about forcing Raven from her room – Raven insisted the pregnant lady got the bed. At the moment, though, she was just glad for an enclosed space that was her own.

She fell on the bed and crawled back into her fortress, wishing that life would just go away. And just like usual, life stayed right where it was.


	4. Finding Safety

**Hopefully chapter four is a little more on time. I'm hoping dearly that my poor editing skills are good enough for now – my beta hasn't been around for a while so it's been just me and my rereading. Not entirely happy/unhappy with this. I reworked it, but I can't decide what else needs to change…**

A few hours slid by and Raven was getting worried. She was still trying to figure out what had set Chelsea off. Chelsea couldn't possibly want to go back to Walter, could she? Raven wished there was something she could do but it was hard to understand what Chelsea was going through.

Raven finally got to her feet and walked slowly over to the shut bedroom door. She rapped on it softly, hoping that Chelsea'd had enough time to sulk and think. When there was no answer, Raven tried the handle and was frustrated to find it locked.

"Chels, will you please listen to me?"

Chelsea clutched the sheets to her chest. Her eyes were bright red and her head was aching terribly, but the tears had long since stopped. Hearing Raven's voice startled her but it was a welcome change to the silence that had been haunting her.

"Yes." Chelsea stumbled to the door, pressing her ear to the wood. She wasn't ready to let the other woman in, though.

"Can I come in?" Raven requested.

"No." Chelsea leaned her weight on the only thing separating her from receiving comfort.

"Oh." Raven decided to talk this out, even if there was a door between them. "Look, Chels, I'm sorry if I hurt you. I didn't mean to and I would never want you to leave me alone. You're really no prob."

"But you said…"

"I don't care what I said." Raven cut in. "I was upset, I was yelling, and I wasn't thinking. But I've had time to think. And no matter what I said before, you are always welcome here."

Chelsea dropped her hand to the handle, undoing the lock. Raven heard the click and gratefully twisted the knob. When the door was open, Chelsea fell into her arms, sniffling. She rubbed the red-head's back, drawing little circles and Chelsea tried to calm down. There were no tears, but there were plenty of dry sobs.

"Do you want something to drink?" Raven offered. She'd cried herself dry a few times in the past. "And aspirin?"

Chelsea swallowed and noticed how dry her throat was, "Yeah, thanks."

"We should probably get some food into you, too. Come on, Chels." Raven helped Chelsea to her feet and led her best friend to the kitchenette. When Chelsea was safely seated on a bar stool, Raven went into the refrigerator and pulled out a plate full of leftovers. Popping it into the microwave, she got a glass and filled it with water.

Chelsea accepted the water and drank half of it right off the bat. Sobbing, she found, was an exhausting ordeal. It was draining physically and mentally, not to mention she was starving and thirsty. Raven set a small blue tablet in front of her and she downed it without a second thought. She was sick of the pressure behind her eyes.

The microwave dinged and Raven pulled out the steaming plate of Chinese food. Waving a bit of the heat off, she placed it on the countertop and found Chelsea a fork. While Chelsea inhaled her meal, Raven got herself a glass of water. Sipping from it, she spied discreetly on Chelsea, looking for some indication that Chelsea was going to be okay.

"You can stop spying, Rae, I'm not going to break." Chelsea spoke around a mouthful of noodles.

"I wasn't spying. I was drinking my water." Raven laughed, "And can you blame me for being worried?"

Chelsea shrugged, slurping up the last of the food. "I guess not."

"Please tell me you're never going back to that… I can't even call him a man."

"I… I can't promise." Chelsea murmured. She wondered where her resolve had gone earlier. If she couldn't even stand up to him after all she'd done to get away, then there was no way to tell if she wouldn't give in again.

"Chelsea Daniels." Raven stated. It was a jolt to Chelsea, to hear her true last name. "You are going to press charges and he is going to be locked up and that's the end of it."

Chelsea looked away, knowing she probably wouldn't have the nerve to do anything more than tell Walter she wasn't going with him. Even then, she'd need Raven beside her for emotional support, not to mention to keep her from going back to him.

"Thanks again." Chelsea stated for lack of something to fill the silence with.

"I don't think I feel safe leaving you here alone during the day. I think you're going to have to come to work with me tomorrow." Raven mused out loud. It was going on three in the afternoon, so it was a little late to return to work, so she could blow off some steam with her favorite friend.

"Please, Rae, I'll be fine." Chelsea promised, "I've got Ralph with me here and I can chain the door."

"Like you did today?" Raven asked, fixing her eyes on Chelsea's blushing cheeks.

"I'll be stronger next time."

"Chelsea, I don't want there to be a next time."

Chelsea stared down at her empty plate. She felt like a complete idiot for how she acted towards Raven earlier. Here was a woman who was devoted to keeping her happy and safe, and how did she respond? By yelling and overreacting. Chelsea felt completely miserable again.

"I'm sorry."

"Chels, you don't need to apologize. I'm here for you, no matter what." Raven smiled and took the plate to the sink, rinsing it off before placing it in the dishwasher.

Chelsea leaned forward, resting her elbows on the countertop. She fixed her eyes on the smooth surface, tracing designs with a fingertip. Though her body felt better from the nourishment and medicine, her mind was still ill at ease. Without looking up she knew that Raven was staring at her expectantly.

"Yes?"

"Chelsea, you can't blame yourself for any of this." Raven murmured quietly. She reached across the distance between them and put her hand on Chelsea's. Squeezing it reassuringly, Raven tried to get Chelsea to smile, "Come on, Biscuit Head."

"You haven't called me that since high school," Chelsea did perk up slightly, "Hey Rae?"

"Yeah?" Raven gazed at her friend.

"Can we go out tonight?"

Raven felt the tension in the room alleviate slightly. "Of course. Did I get you anything to go out in?"

"Yeah, you got me that one dress." Chelsea waved her hand in the general direction of the closet in the bedroom. She'd requested an outing to get her mind out of this slump. Getting fresh air and having fun was the perfect cure.

"You mean the one with the straps?"

"No, no, the other one. You know."

"Oh yeah!" Raven chuckled, "That one. And no exertion from you, got it?"

Chelsea smiled shyly, "Yes, mommy."

Raven raised an eyebrow, "Since when am I your mommy?"

"Since you've been taking such good care of me." Chelsea responded, trying to evoke a chuckle. At first, Raven didn't do anything, but after a few seconds, her eyebrow came down.

"I see."

Chelsea immediately felt troubled again. What had she said? Why was that such a mood-breaker for Rae?

"Are you okay?"

"I'm going to go shower."

Raven didn't wait for Chelsea to speak, leaving a very confused Chelsea still at the counter. Raven grabbed a fresh towel from the linen closet and locked the bathroom door. She sat down on the toilet and hid her face in her hands.

After taking a few deep breaths, Raven stood and turned the water on. After all her hard work, Chelsea hadn't even begun to suspect there might be an ulterior motive to her kindness. No, Chelsea had to see her as a parent, not a potential girlfriend. It was frustrating, to say the least. It wasn't as if she was expecting instant love from Chelsea, not at all.

"Mommy." Raven grumbled quietly. She stepped into the welcoming droplets of water. Showers were intensely comforting for her. When she was in the shower, she couldn't hear anything outside of her head. Nothing existed but her and her thoughts and the warm water.

By the time she stepped out of her haven, her mirror had completely fogged over. She rubbed a fist through the haze, though she knew it would mist over and just leave a smudgy section where she could barely see herself.

"Is that all I'm good for?" she mused, questioning her reflection, "Platonic love, maternal caring?"

Her reflection stared back at her, just as curious as to the answers. With a small chuckle, Raven toweled herself dry. For now she'd have to be content being the mother hen. Someone had to do it and Raven was darned if she was going to let someone else do it for her.

Towel re-wrapped around her body, she left the bathroom, leaving the fan on to chase away the fogginess. She passed the living room on the way to the bedroom, peeking in at Chelsea.

"You still okay in there?" She called, eyeing Chelsea.

Chelsea turned on the barstool and flashed Raven an unsure smile. She hadn't gotten up when Raven left, preferring to stay seated while she thought things through. Her spirits picked up when Raven returned and seemed at least half way normal.

Raven smiled back. "Well, after I get changed, why don't you change into something more fun and we'll head out."

"Sounds great." Chelsea finally relaxed completely. Raven wasn't angry with her – that was a tremendous relief.

Ten minutes later, they were decked out in similar outfits – both wore jeans and a blouse. Chelsea's shirt was deep blue and maternity wear to Raven's black. Where Chelsea wore flat, comfortable shoes, Raven had on four-inch heels, not that she needed to be much taller.

"Now remember, Chels, first sign of tiredness, or exhaustion, we're going home. You're not allowed to collapse or lie to me." Raven lectured.

"Yes, I know! Can we go?" Chelsea was anxious to just get there and have fun. It seemed like ever since she left Walter, life had gotten more complicated and more stressful, though it should have been the other way around.

Outside the building, Raven tried hailing a taxi down but all of the cabbies ignored her. She tapped her foot impatiently, trying over and over to get someone, anyone, to pull over for her. Chelsea tapped her shoulder, drawing her back.

"Please, Rae. Let the pregnant woman show you how it's done." Chelsea stepped to the curb. A cab was at their feet in less than a minute. "Told you so."

"Show off." Raven laughed, opening the door for Chelsea.

"Oh, what a gentleman," Chelsea shot back, "Thank you, sir."

"What am I? Your mother or your father?"

"I think you're a mix. A fother? Or a mather?"

"I'd prefer to be a Raven."

The cabbie tried to stay calm, remain patient, but he had places to go, money to make, and listening to playful banter was not helping him do his job. "Where to?"

Raven thought a moment, "Do you know where the Dalton is?"

"Down on seventy-third, right?" He asked, "Seventy-third and Butterfield."

"Sounds about right."

Chelsea perked up at the name, "Oh! What's the Dalton?"

"It's a little club I found a while ago. It's not new or anything, but it's not very well known. Very laid back but fun."

"Sounds good." Chelsea fiddled with the seatbelt, "Are you going to let me dance?"

"If you drink water and take breaks." Raven stated, eyes averted. She could be a good mother, given the chance.

"You're treating me like a glass doll. I'm not going to break." Chelsea fired back.

"How do you know? Have you fallen lately?"

Chelsea didn't respond. She personally thought she fell, metaphorically, a lot more than most other people. She fell when she opened the door for Walter. She fell when she agreed to go with him. She fell when she yelled at Raven. She was just lucky to have someone waiting with to save her at the bottom.

"Thanks, Raven."

"For what?" Raven turned in her seat, facing Chelsea as best she could. She stared Chelsea down and for a moment gazing back was all Chelsea could do. Chelsea's voice eventually caught up with her racing heart.

"Catching me."


	5. Finding the Past

**Sorry this took so long. I feel bad, but I got really wrapped up in trying to get my other story done. So here it is. Still beta-less, unfortunately. She went off to college and hasn't returned...**

Outside the club, Raven took hold of Chelsea's arm -- she wanted to make sure no ill befell her companion, whether it come from a fall or from another human being looking for a good time. Chelsea didn't seem to mind; she favored Raven with a small smile. As they entered the club, Raven helped Chelsea weave through the seemingly seamless, constantly morphing sea of people. Along all but one of the walls sat high tables with barstool seats. They were mostly used for rest, but waitresses did find their way around, taking drink orders and refreshing the small dishes of peanuts.

"Rae, this is great!" Chelsea had to raise her voice slightly to be heard over the pulsing music. It was just the kind of music that she'd get down and dance to if Raven wasn't watching her sharply.

"Come on Chels, take it easy. We don't want that water to break." Rae chided, only half joking. She didn't want to think about Chelsea going into labor in a night club.

"You worry too much!" Chelsea chuckled, "Dance with me?"

"I want you to get something nonalcoholic to drink first. You gotta stay hydrated."

Chelsea rolled her eyes but followed Raven to one of the empty tables, "I swear, Rae. You need to learn to live a little."

"And you need to learn to live properly for that baby." Raven retorted.

Grumbling, Chelsea dropped her line of complaints and reluctantly took a seat. When one of the waitresses approached she ordered a water; Raven asked for the same.

"When I asked to go out, I wasn't exactly expecting to sit at a table all night watching other people get jiggy with it." Chelsea murmured, knowing Raven couldn't hear over the music. Raven got the gist of it, though.

"Chels, as soon as you get some water in you, you can go get your groove on. But please, if you're tired—"

"Come sit down. I know, Rae. I know." Chelsea chuckled. When the water arrived, Chelsea practically chugged hers down, "Mother, may I take ten big steps to the dance floor?"

"Go ahead, Chelsea. I'll join you in a few minutes. Unlike you, I actually drink my water." Raven waved her friend off. Even as Chelsea found her way into the bowels of the mob, Raven kept one eye glued on that shiny red head.

"Raven? Raven Baxter, is that you?"

Raven lost track of Chelsea as a high pitched squeal distracted her. "Say what?"

"It's me, Christina! You remember, the Christmas party last year?" A short and anorexic-looking blonde took Chelsea's abandoned bar stool. "I haven't seen you in ages."

Raven thought hard – She met so many people in her line of business that it was hard to keep track of faces. But then it came to her in one embarrassing flash. Last Christmas she'd let her secretary talk her into attending an all-building office party. Though Raven's business only occupied one floor of a six story building, all the other companies inside got together around the holidays and threw a wild bash. Raven allowed her employees to go, but hadn't attended one herself.

This particular blonde had latched onto her the moment she'd arrived at the party. Christina Applebaum, Raven's memory supplied. Was very into fashion, she remembered, and very into getting into Raven's pants. Raven suppressed a shudder – she'd given Christina a chance and regretted it now. The other girl was incredibly shallow and high maintenance. It wasn't a good high maintenance where Raven felt good about spoiling her girlfriend; it was a demanding, nit-picky maintenance that Raven wished would just go away. After just eight days on the dating scene, Raven had stopped returning her calls.

"Sorry, I don't quite…" Raven shook her head slowly, still pretending to search her memory banks. "Were you the one who opened the piñata?"

"No." Christina looked a little hurt, but didn't let it down her mood, "We dated for a while and then you had your phone number changed. You forgot to tell me your new one."

Raven decided this was a safe place to remember, "Oh yeah, I remember you… Sorry about that."

"It's fine. I totally met this hot designer a few days after I last saw you. She was to die for." Raven figured that meant that the other woman was loaded.

"Oh. Well, it was nice to see you…" Raven trailed off, giving Christina a polite dismissal.

"I was hoping we could try again." Christina quipped, not to be turned away so easily.

"I'm sorry… I'm… in a committed relationship…" Raven lied.

"With who? Where is she? Is she as pretty as me?"

"Her name is… Chelsea. She's dancing, and yes. I think so." Raven hoped Chelsea would pick up on the game when she returned, just like old times. Although, in the old days, Chelsea was a little slow on the uptake.

"Oh, you so have to introduce us!"

Raven hesitantly nodded. "I guess that's okay. She should be coming back soon, I think."

"So… how long have you known her?" Christina twirled a piece of her hair between manicured fingertips.

Raven shrugged, "Since we were like three years old. We go way back."

"Really? So high school sweethearts?"

"Not really. We were best friends." Trying to avoid digging herself into a hole, Raven tried to stay as true to the past as she could remember it. That way if Christina tried to drill Chelsea for information, it would at least match.

"So how did you two find each other again after all this time?"

"She was visiting New York and saw one of my designs in a window." Raven's attention suddenly perked up as Chelsea pushed her way through the crowd and back to the table.

"Can I finish your water, Rae?" Chelsea panted, not noticing the other woman at the table.

"Sure thing, babe." Raven caught Chelsea's eye and sent a covert wink. Chelsea looked confused but picked up Raven's glass anyways and drained the last of the liquid.

"Oh, you must be Chelsea!" Christina squealed, delighted. She hadn't thought the other girl existed, truthfully, but just because Chelsea existed didn't make the girl Raven's girlfriend. Christina sensed that Raven wasn't telling the whole truth.

"Yeah? And you are?" Chelsea pulled herself up onto a chair, glancing curiously at Raven. Raven shrugged.

"I'm Christina Applebaum, one of Raven's exgirlfriends.

Raven wanted to melt into her seat. She hadn't exactly come out and told Chelsea a lot about her private life. Chelsea had asked about if Raven was seeing anyone a short while back, just to make sure she wasn't infringing on Raven's social life. Chelsea wouldn't have guessed in a million years that Raven would have a girlfriend, let along more than one ex.

"Oh, nice to meet you. I'm Chelsea Scott, well soon to be Chelsea Daniels."

"You're getting married?" Christina hooked her claws into that tidbit of information, ready to suck any Raven-related gossip from it.

"No. Divorced, actually. My maiden name is Daniels."

Raven broke into the conversation, knowing where this was going. "I'm helping her through the divorce. Aren't I, darling?"

Chelsea narrowed her eyebrows slightly, but hid her confusion well. "Yes, sweetheart…?"

"He was a bad man," Raven supplemented the story, "and Chelsea had to leave after she got pregnant. She found me and it was like love at first sight. It's great we have such a history together. It took a lot of the awkwardness out of our first few dates."

Chelsea started catching on, "Oh, totally. But then again, Rae can charm her way out of any situation."

"Aw, thanks, Chels." Raven smiled, "As you can see, we're very happy together."

Christina wasn't completely satisfied with all this, "So you're saying that you were married to a man, got pregnant, found Raven and fell in love with a woman?"

Chelsea shrugged, "I don't believe in labels. You can call people straight, gay, bisexual, whatever, but it's not necessarily true. I mean, we can't control who we love."

Raven logged that away – if that's what Chelsea really thought, maybe they'd have a chance later on. "Yeah. And I wasn't going to say no to her just because she was pregnant with another man's baby."

Christina sighed, "Well, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone. Raven, you know my number. Gimme a ring sometime."

Chelsea had already fallen into her role, though, and called, outraged, "You shouldn't hit on another woman's girlfriend!"

"Whoa, there, Chels, easy!" Raven chuckled, "Thanks for the back up, though."

Chelsea smiled; her mood had skyrocketed out on the dance floor and it felt good to play around with Raven like old times. But she was a little tired from all the dancing and couldn't hide the monstrous yawn that attacked her face.

"Can we go home, Rae?" She mumbled at the end of her yawn, hiding her mouth behind her hand a moment longer than necessary.

Raven left her seat, leaving a small tip on the tabletop. She and Chelsea found a way through the blob of people, careful not to get stepped upon. Chelsea helped call another cab and they were on their way back to Raven's apartment in no time.

"Sorry about that," Raven apologized after they were safely in the back of the car. "She just wouldn't leave me alone."

Chelsea chuckled, "So what happened with her?"

"I met her at some Christmas party and she clung to me. So I went out with her a few times, on the idea that everybody has some sort of redeemable feature… Turns out some people don't… Some people are just annoying as hell." Raven sighed. "She was a big mistake, I'll tell you that much."

"She seemed so pushy. What were you guys talking about? And how did I turn into your girlfriend?"

Raven looked out the window, slightly flustered. "She wanted me to go out with her again, but I said I was taken. And she asked by who, and you were the only one I could safely match a story with, so I said you. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't. I just didn't know…" Chelsea trailed off, remembering they were in a cab. "We'll talk at home, okay?"

Raven nodded gratefully, "Sure."

After a short and otherwise silent ride, Raven paid the cabdriver and helped Chelsea up to the apartment. Ralph greeted them with a friendly howl and wagging tail – Chelsea went to him and pat his head. He slobbered over her hand with his massive tongue and wet nose.

"You've got a great dog, Rae…" Chelsea wasn't sure if she should pick the conversation up again or let Raven work her way back to it.

"Ralph's my good boy." Raven ruffled his ears playfully. He seemed to grin up at her. "About that… I guess I should explain…"

"Don't worry, Rae. If you don't want to talk about it, it's fine. It's nothing big." Chelsea supplied, though she had to admit she was curious.

"You're my best friend, Chels. You deserve to know." Raven followed Ralph as the big dog nearly pranced into the living room and sprawled on the couch, his tail still beating a constant happy beat. "Well, I didn't date much in college, mostly men back then. I just… well, I used to think I was saving myself for someone else and that I'd know when I met him or her."

Raven avoided mentioning that she already knew who she was waiting for. If she mentioned having a major crush back in high school that Chelsea didn't know about, she wouldn't be able to get out of telling Chelsea the truth. At the moment, she didn't want Chelsea knowing yet. Before Raven did anything, verbal or otherwise, she needed Chelsea to be officially divorced. It would be nice if the baby was born as well, Raven decided.

"Did you meet them?"

Rae shrugged, "Don't know. After college I just followed the same habit. I didn't really think about it as I turned dates down. And well, eventually I noticed that women were asking me places as well. So I decided to try and play the field a little. But most people get old so quickly. Their personalities aren't entertaining, at least not attractive to me."

"Well, I hope you find your Prince or Princess Charming, Rae." Chelsea leaned over the panting mass that was Ralph to give Raven a quick hug.

"Thanks." Raven checked the clock, "Well, it's getting late. You should probably get some sleep."

Chelsea nodded, "So am I coming to work with you tomorrow?"

"Well it is Bring-Your-Daughter-To-Work day." Raven joked. "I might as well bring my daughter."

"Moooooooom!" Chelsea whined, "It's not even midnight yet! I wanna watch cartoons!"

Raven tiled her chin down and raised her eyebrows. Her hands settled onto her waist, "Right this instant, young lady."

Chelsea chuckled, "Yes, mommy."

They both cleaned up and Chelsea headed to the main bedroom. Raven took to the couch, snuggling next to her massive dog. Ralph was already half asleep and sniffed her face for only a moment before resettling in next to his mistress.

"Good night, Rae!" Chelsea called, pulling the covers around her chin.

"Good night, Chels!" Raven returned, closing her eyes.


	6. Finding Friends

**I meant to get this up earlier, but I've been feeling like an emo kid lately and it's making it hard to write without trying to kill all the characters. School started and I have a grand total of no free time. I have four AP classes, which equates to about five hours of homework, not counting my other classes. Feel free to stone me for not keeping this story updated regularly.**

"_Chelsea! Push!" Raven whispered hoarsely. Her grip on Chelsea's hand was like iron. There was nothing in the world that could have broken in her death-hold._

"_I… I can't!" Chelsea cried. Her head fell to the side as her body convulsed. A driblet of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth as her eyes rolled back into her head._

"_Nurse?" Raven was growing more and more panicked as seconds ticked by._

"_Miss, you're going to have to wait in the hall."_

"_But she's my best friend!"_

"_Immediate family only, please."_

_Raven protested as her hand was pulled off Chelsea's and she was ejected from the delivery room. The door was slammed in her face and it was all she could do to press her ear against the door and listen to Chelsea's pained cries._

_And then it all went quiet. Raven didn't know what was worse. The awful silence or the awful yelling. The door opened and Raven took a step back in surprise. The nurse was cradling a little bundle in her arms. But Raven could hardly look at the baby – behind the nurse Chelsea wasn't moving. The surrounding area was covered in blood – too much to have come from Chelsea, but Raven didn't stop to think about that._

_She shoved past the nurse and fell to her knees, ignoring the overwhelming sense to retch up her lunch. She ignored how her designer jeans were now covered and sopping with blood. All she could think about was waking her best friend up._

"_Chels, come on! Your little girl! She's here!"_

_The doctor set a hand on her shoulder and shook his head, "I'm sorry, Miss. She's gone."_

"_What? She can't be… the baby…" Raven couldn't accept that. She shook Chelsea's shoulders almost violently; Chelsea's head flopped back and forth uselessly. "You can't leave me! I didn't tell you yet!"_

"_Is there someone who can take the baby?" The doctor interrupted._

_Raven dragged her sleeve across her eyes, wiping away the tears that cascaded down her face in torrents. She raised her hand, hating how much it was shaking. It was as if she couldn't keep control of it. It quivered left and right and no matter how hard she concentrated and tensed her muscles, that arm wouldn't stay still._

"_I'll take my daughter."_

_Raven felt like her heart had stopped in her chest. Across the room – she hadn't noticed him in there earlier… when had he got there, she wondered… – Walter peeled himself out of a chair and approached the nurse who was carrying the baby._

"_I am, after all, the father. I have legal rights to her."_

"_Very good, sir."_

"_No! You can't have her!" Raven yelled, raising her fist. She was going to beat the snot out of that –_

Raven hit the ground. Her breaths were coming in short gasps and her blanket was tangled around her legs, severely restricting her movement. Ralph stared sleepily down at her as she sat on the living room floor and tried to get her bearings.

It was just a bad dream, she reassured herself. Chelsea was alive and well in the other room. She pressed her fingers to the corners of her eyes, wishing her visions were as frequent these days as they used to be. There was nothing she wouldn't give to get a nice vision of Chelsea safely delivering a happy, healthy baby girl. Such a vision would ease her mind just as the nightmare had set her so ill at ease.

"I should go check on her." Raven murmured, though it was more for her own sake than for Chelsea's. Ralph snuffled in agreement. He stuck his head back down on his paws and proceeded to go back to sleep.

Raven crept as quietly as she could into the bedroom. There was a lump in the middle of the bed, which Raven safely assumed to be Chelsea's slumbering form. See, she wanted to tell herself, there was nothing wrong. She was just overreacting..

She padded over to the bed and secured the blankets around Chelsea's body, even going so far as to place a kiss on Chelsea's forehead. Still shaken from the dream, Raven returned to the couch, unsure if she'd be able to get back to sleep again. Thankfully, though, she was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

"Good morning, Rae!" Chelsea was bubbly the next morning. If she had any idea that Raven had tucked her in the night before, she hid it well.

Raven nodded quietly and sat up. After falling asleep again, her dreams had been empty and meaningless, a fact she was grateful for.

"I made breakfast." Chelsea gestured to a steaming pile of pancakes proudly. "You didn't have any soy so I had to make due."

Chuckling quietly, Raven made her way to the counter and slumped onto one of the barstools. She grunted her gratitude as Chelsea slid the plate under Raven's nose. Breakfast was, for the most part, quiet. Occasionally Chelsea would ask a question or giggle as a Ralph attempted to beg for food.

"Chels, he's going to get fat if you keep feeding him like that."

Chelsea narrowed her eyes, "And what's wrong with fat?"

Raven's eyes flitted to Chelsea's large stomach and rethought her words, "Nothing, nothing. Overweight is beautiful."

"So you're saying I'm ugly?" Chelsea demanded.

"No?" Raven felt trapped. What had brought this on? Through the last stages of the pregnancy Chelsea had managed to stay fairly normal. Raven hadn't witnessed any wild mood swings before.

Chelsea looked close to tears, "You're no Kate Moss yourself!"

"Chelsea… I'm sorry. I was out of line there, girl." Raven ignored the comment. She'd always been slightly larger than most women but it hadn't bothered her in years. Being full figure meant she had all the right curves to attract attention when she wanted it.

That seemed to calm Chelsea's fried emotions for a moment. But only for a moment. "Raven! I can't believe I said that to you! I'm so, so, so sorry!" The tears that Chelsea had been fighting were set loose.

Not entirely sure of what she was supposed to do Raven pushed her breakfast aside and hurried to Chelsea's side. She wrapped her arms around Chelsea's quaking shoulders, mumbling anything that sounded vaguely comforting. Ralph whined quietly, not liking the sudden outburst of tears. He wagged his tail beseechingly and bumped his head on Chelsea's hand. She rubbed his head, slowly regaining control of herself. Wiping her eyes, Chelsea drew out of Raven's arms.

"I'm sorry, Rae… I don't know where that came from…"

Raven shrugged, letting it go. "Girl, you're nearly giving birth. I'd forgive you for just about anything right now. Your hormones are all outta whack and all."

"Thanks." Chelsea sniffled, "Well, you better get showered if you want to get to work on time."

Raven glanced at the clock and groaned – of course she was running late. That just topped off her morning. Grinning manically she hurried off to clean up. She dressed in some of her brand name clothing, like usual, applied her make-up perfectly, like usual, and ran out of the apartment alone, like usual.

She came to a skidding halt a few feet away from her door; she'd forgotten something...

Chelsea exited the apartment, giggling. "Looking for me?"

Raven sighed with relief, "Yes. I was just beginning to wonder if I'd left the oven on or something."

"Nope, no oven. Just a pregnant woman."

"That's good…. So how do I turn you off?" Raven joked. She turned away from her apartment and hurried to the elevator. There wasn't enough time to sit and lollygag. 

"Right now I'm pretty sure telling me I've got to carry this baby for another few months might do the trick." Chelsea complained.

"Chelsea, I hate to break it to you, but you've still got a few more months. The doctor miscalculated your due-date."

"Don't even say that!" Chelsea scolded, hopping in the elevator when the doors opened. Raven was right behind her.

Raven relaxed – memories of that dream the night before had been haunting the edges of her consciousness and she really just wanted to forget that ever happened. But she knew that bad dreams could be horribly long lasting. Just before leaving for college she'd had a dream that she was married to her mother and that had followed her out of the house and inspired her to remain across the country even after graduation.

There was just something skin crawling about being stuck with your mother after high school and Raven dreaded that she'd fail out of college or be unemployed to the point of having no home. One of her goals after graduation was to maintain her independence, no matter the financial burden. Moving back in with the parents was not an option.

When they arrived at Raven's office building, Chelsea sighed wistfully. The large gray building was daunting – it wasn't as scary as the first time she saw it, but it still wasn't welcoming. Raven tugged her arm slightly, spurring her into motion.

"Come on, Chels, before you catch a cold out there," Raven felt more like a mother hen every day. It was getting so natural. "And before I forget, we have to get you in with a lawyer to talk about your divorce. I'm betting that Walter's going to take most of your assets, which I actually recommend."

Chelsea nodded vaguely, following Raven with a slumped posture. She didn't know what she'd do without Raven – the other woman was holding her together at the moment. Without Rae, she'd never know where to start. She wouldn't know to go to a lawyer, she wouldn't be going to regular visits with a great doctor.

"If he takes most of it, he can't complain or come hounding you later for money. I know doing that is technically frowned on, but that wouldn't stop him. Best to just get rid of him now." Raven reasoned, holding the door to her office open. Chelsea stepped through. Lauren glanced up with a small smile at her boss. "Lauren, do me a favor."

Lauren grabbed a sheaf of paper and a pen. She licked the nib, waiting for her orders, "Yes?"

"I need you to look up the best divorce lawyer in New York." Raven paused, thinking. "Schedule an appointment for Chelsea, will you? See if you can't get in within two weeks, okay? And plan it around my schedule."

Chelsea felt like a rag doll at times, especially when Raven took control like she did. It had been like that all their lives. Raven just had a dominating personality and a willing ability to lead.

"Okay, ma'am." Lauren returned her attention to the large calendar in front of her.

Raven grabbed Chelsea and tugged her into the workroom. "Lemme introduce you to a few people, okay?"

Chelsea nodded and followed along. She shook a few hands and smiled politely as Raven introduced her interns and staff. The names just slid right past her but she wasn't particularly worried. If something came up she could just ask for a specific name later. When the introductions were over, Raven left Chelsea with the interns and went to her desk.

"So." One of the interns tried to start a small conversation. She was a short blonde woman who looked like she had just gotten out of college. Her hair was cut into a bob around her face – a look that Chelsea thought the woman pulled off nicely. What killed the prettiness of the young woman was the lack of life in her dull blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name…?" Chelsea offered cheerfully. If Raven wanted this to work out, she'd just try her best.

"Sylvia." The blonde replied tersely.

"Oh, that's a pretty name."

"I suppose." Sylvia was eyeing Chelsea with barely concealed dislike and Chelsea couldn't for the life of her fathom what the problem was.

"Did I do something to offend you?" Chelsea questioned.

Sylvia huffed quietly before turning away and marching away. The other two interns sighed. One extended her hand with an apologetic smile.

"I'm Bella. Sorry about her."

Chelsea shook the offered appendage, "What's her deal?"

Bella shrugged, "I don't really know. I mean, we have our guesses, and all."

The third intern chuckled, "I caught her staring at Miss Raven the other day."

"Maggie!" Bella scolded. Her long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail but she reached back and pulled the loose strands in frustration.

Chelsea had to smile -- maybe hanging out at Raven's workplace wouldn't be so bad. She'd love to know why Sylvia hated her, though.


	7. Finding Freedom

**So. This would have been out earlier, but I had some technical problems. Namely the fact that I've been storing my files on a flash drive and then got my flash drive fried. All of my fanfiction files were gone in the blink of an eye. So I've had to rewrite this as best I can… And as I am a mere child and have never had a divorce, my 'technical' information is limited. I apologize for mistakes I make. And I'm so sorry this took so long. You can blame AP Physics.**

"Thank you for seeing us on such short notice," Raven held her hand out expectantly.

A lean, whippy man took the offering with a firm shake, "It was no problem."

Chelsea stood shyly behind Raven, not at all comfortable with current events. She had her arm crossed self-consciously across her stomach and was eyeing the floor with all her might. Barely listening to Raven and the lawyer, Chelsea tried to get her thoughts on other matters.

"So. What does Chelsea want out of this divorce?"

Chelsea couldn't stop thinking about Walter and, truthfully, he was a confusing subject. There remained a small part of her that really honestly wanted to believe that Walter cared for her and even though he'd been abusive, he could change.

"She doesn't want anything but custody of the unborn child." Raven was perfectly content doing all the talking.

The lawyer raised an eyebrow, "Does she speak?"

Chelsea flushed slightly. "I do."

"Good. Now, Mrs. Scott…"

"Chelsea." She chimed in softly, "Just call me Chelsea."

"Alright, Chelsea. I'm going to work on getting you full custody of the child as quickly as possible. I understand that you want to get this entire divorce completed within the shortest time period possible. Am I correct?"

"Yes," Chelsea nodded, eyes scanning the rows of educational certificates that lined the wall. It seemed that _Nathaniel Crowe_ was quite the achiever.

Mr. Crowe picked up a small ball from his desk top and tossed it between his hands. Chelsea's eyes darted back and forth, following the motion. She didn't particularly like the man before her, but she had to admit, he seemed to know what he was doing.

"Well, it will take some time, especially if your husband is resistant. I'd say, minimum of three months. Maximum, well, let's not think about that."

Chelsea's eyes widened. "But my baby is going to be born soon! I need this done now!"

He shook his head apologetically, "Things take time. We have to write a petition stating why you want the divorce and how you want things split. That's not too terribly time consuming, since you don't want much. Then I get to file it off with the court, and then they send it to your husband. He has to respond within three weeks. Then we get to have you guys exchange some documents, stuff concerning income and property and such. That's also when you'll get to set up child support for the baby and alimony."

Raven sighed, "Is that all?"

Once again he shook his head. "Sorry, ladies, that's just the start of it. Chelsea and Mr. Scott will have to come to an agreement about things. If you can't agree, you go to trial, where a judge will decide things. And then, finally, you'll get your divorce."

Chelsea's shoulders slumped slightly. Her hope of being away from Walter before he could get his hands on their daughter was falling to pieces. "Can we at least start today?"

Mr. Crowe settled back in his chair and set the ball down in front of him, "We can set up your petition, if you like. I have a meeting in half an hour, but until then, I'm yours."

"Well, that shouldn't be hard," Raven interjected, "Since all Chels wants is custody of the baby."

"Yes, that does make things easier," Mr. Crowe agreed, "But are you sure? Most women need more than that."

"She's not most women." Raven snapped, "And yes. The less we get from him, the better."

Chelsea flushed slightly – Raven was so stubborn sometimes and Chelsea appreciated the back up in situations like the one they were in. "Mm, Mr. Crowe, she's right. I'm going to get a job after the baby's born and all, so I should be fine."

"And I'll be housing her." Raven agreed, "All we need is the kid."

Mr. Crowe nodded, "I'll just write it up for you then and fax it to you. When you're done with it, just tell me what you want changed, if anything, and then we'll send it off to his lawyers."

A sigh of relief rifled though Chelsea. "Thank you, Mr. Crowe."

When they returned to Raven's office the next day, Lauren had the fax clutched between her hands. She'd read it, of course, and had felt extremely guilty over snooping into private matters.

Chelsea didn't bother reading it – she wanted as little to do with this divorce as humanly possible. Raven scanned it over and found it satisfactory.

"Lauren, call Mr. Crowe and approve it, please." Raven pulled Chelsea into the back office. She found her three interns and promptly ordered them to take Chelsea out to lunch. Glad for the break, all but Sylvia promptly obliged.

Chelsea found herself towed outside by a chuckling Maggie. Bella was close behind, while Sylvia deigned to stay behind. Maggie clung to her arm like it was a life preserver and she was stranded at sea.

"Oh. My. God." Maggie sighed, "It's such a lovely day out."

Chelsea glanced around, failing to see the particular beauty of a wintery New York. She shrugged and nodded good-naturedly. "Yeah, it's nice."

Bella shook her head, "No, it's not. It's freakin' cold. Maggie's just too optimistic."

Maggie giggled, "And you're almost pessimistic."

"So," Chelsea drew her one free arm around her body and rubbed out the cold, "where are we eating?"

"What are you hungry for?"

Chelsea shrugged noncommittally, "I could go for anything, really."

"To the nearest Chinese buffet!" Maggie yelled. Bella rolled her eyes but gave no verbal complaint.

Once safely inside a nearby restaurant, Chelsea slumped down in her seat. While she was fairly fit and healthy, carrying a nine-month old mass of baby in her stomach wore her out easily. Ever conscious of her impending hospital visit, Chelsea had to request that the other two women put together a plate for her while she rested her feet.

"Anything in particular you want?" Maggie cheerfully questioned.

"Nothing spicy," Chelsea thought a moment, "And nothing too wild. My stomach couldn't take it right now."

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Maggie saluted quite seriously and flounced off to fill the order. Bella was hot on her heels.

Chelsea watched them tear through the buffet with a small smile plastered on her face. Life with Raven was so much more fun and easy going than life with Walter. Even though she loved Walter, she loved Raven just as much, if only for providing her with a comfortable, safe environment to complete her pregnancy. Not to mention the fifteen years of friendship before college.

"Sooooooo," Maggie hunkered down and slid Chelsea's plate over, "What's the deal?"

"The deal?" Chelsea responded slowly, unsure of what was being implied.

"Between you and Miss Raven!" Maggie replied eagerly.

Bella sat down more slowly, "Mag, leave her alone."

"No, it's fine." Chelsea reassured the dark haired girl.

Maggie raised her eyebrows expectantly, "Spill!"

"Well, we've been friends since we were three, pretty much forever." Chelsea stuck her fork into her meal thoughtfully. "We had a third best friend, though we met him later… I haven't spoken to him in, what, three years now…"

"Mmhmm?" Maggie had a mouthful of egg rolls, but tried to remain interactive.

"And my husband was... not so nice," Chelsea continued, "And Raven took me in. End of story."

"Oh come on!" Maggie cried – her fork clattered down onto her plate, "That's so not the whole story."

Bella slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand, "Maggie, it's none of our business."

Chelsea blushed slightly, "I don't quite understand…"

"Do you liiiiiike her?" Maggie adopted a sing-song tone.

"What, are we in third grade?" Bella complained.

"She's a good friend." Chelsea nodded agreeably, "Of course I like her."

"You know what I mean…" Maggie trailed off.

Chelsea was silent a moment. She fingered her napkin and stared at the wall opposite her chair. On one hand, she'd barely just admitted these feelings to herself; Bella was right – it wasn't any of their business. On the other, though, it wouldn't hurt to talk things over with someone.

"Yes."

Maggie clapped her hands childishly, "That's wonderful! How's that going?"

"What going?"

Maggie's face scrunched up, "You two aren't dating?"

"No… I don't know if she even, y'know, likes me…"

"It is sooo obvious," Maggie leaned forward, confiding, "That's why Sylvia doesn't like you. She was hoping to seduce Raven for herself. And then you came along and swept Raven off her feet!"

"It doesn't look that way to me," Chelsea sighed. Raven had been nothing but courteous and polite, if distant.

"Well, you're still married aren't you? And with a baby on the way…" Bella interjected, "It only makes sense that she's waiting."

"I guess that would make it so that I was cheating on Walter…" Chelsea chuckled weakly, "Should I wait, then? Before I say something?"

Maggie nodded sagely, "Oh definitely."

Bella finished the food that was on her plate as she nodded her personal confirmation. A moment passed as she swallowed the last bite and she spoke again, "At least until your divorce is finalized. Then she won't feel like she's breaking up your marriage."

Chelsea smiled softly, "You guys really think she likes me?"

"Well…." Maggie was fully prepared to go into melodramatics when Bella cut her off.

"Yes. We at the office haven't seen her so cheerful before. She has more energy when you're around. She watches you, she protects you, she goes all out to get you what you want. If you weren't married, I would assume you two were in a serious relationship."

"I…" Chelsea trailed off. "I hope that happens… I've had enough crap in my love life. And I know Raven would never… well…"

Maggie sighed, throwing her napkin on her plate, "We should get back to the office. We got a lunch break, not the afternoon off."

Bella got to her feet. Chelsea was still slower and she had to ease onto her feet with one hand supporting her lower back. She giggled softly. That baby had to be born soon, or her back just might give out. As they walked back to Raven's building, Chelsea asked the one question that she'd been devoting a lot of thought to.

"Got any good baby names for a girl?"

"Cynthia." Maggie chortled. "Genevieve! Gertrude? Penelope!"

Bella rolled her eyes. "What were you thinking about?"

"When I was with Walter, I wanted to name her Raven. But now that I'm with Raven, that's pretty silly. One Raven is enough." Chelsea sighed.

"How about Robin?" Bella suggested, "It's a bird name, like Raven, so you'd still have the connection."

"And besides," Maggie skipped slightly as she spoke, "For Halloween you could totally be Batgirl to her Robin."

Chelsea laughed, "That's cute."

A slight pain lanced through her abdomen and halted her walking. She placed a confused hand on her stomach, questioning the sudden jolt. But because it passed as quickly as it came, she shook her head and hurried to catch up with the two girls.


	8. Finding Release

**Chapter eight. There are no excuses this time, just my bad habits of putting things off 'til the last second. That and my brother's been in the hospital for the past two weeks and I finally came out to my mother. If you catch the reference in this chapter to a great movie/book, more brownie points to you.**

Chelsea stared at the wonderful meal in front of her, smiling softly. It looked positively delicious: fresh fruit piled into glimmering china bowls, steaming vegetables decoratively placed around a teriyaki flavored mound of tofu, and two glasses of sparkling cider. One bowl held fluffy white mashed potatoes, dripping with succulent gravy. Chelsea rubbed her stomach hesitantly.

"So, are you loving this or what?" Raven threw her arms open, baring her slightly stained white apron. The protective article of clothing stated, in red sparkles, "KISS THE COOK", and Chelsea wanted to do just that; Raven was being too great. To have such a lavish meal prepared on her behalf…

"Oh, yeah." She responded. Her tone was rather flat. It was touching that Raven put in the effort, but lately Chelsea found her stomach rather unsettled. Just looking at the feast before her made her stomach churn unpleasantly.

"What's wrong?" Raven watched her carefully. She noted that Chelsea's hand hovered near her stomach. "Not hungry?"

"It's not that," Chelsea reluctantly answered. She winced slightly as a jar of pain jolted through her midsection, "Just a little pain."

Raven stared at her, "When did it start?"

"Yesterday," Chelsea admitted slowly, "But it's not that bad."

"But Chels…" Raven shook her head, "What if this is a problem? Is it getting worse?"

"Just more… I don't know, continuous." She shrugged noncommittally, "It's just more constant now."

"We're going to the hospital." It was a flat statement with no room for argument. Chelsea bit her tongue; she didn't think it was severe enough for a doctor's visit, but as it had to do with the welfare of her child, she readily agreed.

The entire cab ride to the hospital consisted of Raven fussing over Chelsea. Chelsea almost wanted to push Raven away, but realized that Raven was only trying to help. When the cab pulled up to the curb, she shot Raven a reprimanding look. Raven bit her tongue. It did not, however, stop Raven from opening the door for her charge and helping the other woman across the sidewalk and into the sterilized building.

Together they approached a rather bored looking nurse who was seated behind a massive desk. She had a phone propped in the crook of her neck and she was staring dully at the a file folder in front of her.

"Uh-huh… Yes… it says here that you had your tonsils removed half a year ago. … Yes, Dr. King. No, he's no longer practicing at this hospital. No, I don't know where to find him. Yes, I'll give him the message if I see him." The nurse set the phone down and stared a moment longer at the folder. Raven tapped her foot impatiently.

"Hey," Raven leaned in, eyeing the nurse's badge of authorization, "Nurse Bates…"

Nurse Bates glanced up slowly, taking her time, "Yes?"

"We need to see a doctor."

With a heavy sigh, Bates turned her attention to a list of on-call doctors that was taped haphazardly to the top of the desk. "Dr. Brunner will be available in half an hour. You're welcome to wait."

Raven glanced back towards the waiting area and cringed. There were sick germs everywhere and she didn't want Chelsea anywhere that infectious area. "Look, she's pretty much delivering her baby right now. Are you sure there's nobody who can see us right now?"

The nurse shook her head apathetically, "If she's giving birth, you might want to try the Emergency Room entrance, not the clinic."

Chelsea placed a hand on her stomach, "We'll wait, thank you."

Raven shook her head, "No, thanks. Girl, we're going to the E.R."

With a sigh, Chelsea allowed Raven to guide her to the other part of the hospital where they received a much better response. Within minutes of talking to the nurse at the Emergency Room desk Chelsea was seated in a comfortable wheelchair and was being wheeled down the hall to a private room.

With Chelsea comfortably situated on an examination table, Raven relaxed slightly. She held onto Chelsea's hand, telling herself it was merely to give Chelsea support. Chelsea squeezed her hand with a small smile.

"I'm going to be alright, Rae. This is probably just," Chelsea searched her mind for a possible excuse, "Indigestion."

Raven fixed her with a disbelieving gaze, "Chels, either you've never had indigestion, or you crazy."

Chelsea shrugged, "I was just saying maybe."

"Girl, you crazy."

Giggling in a rather strained manner, Chelsea responded, "Well… One of us has to be."

Raven gave Chelsea's hand one last squeeze before taking a seat in one of the comfortable chairs in the room. She was terrified for her friend, though she wouldn't verbalize her fears until Chelsea was completely better. There was nothing worse than scaring a possibly sick patient.

"Mrs. Scott?"

Chelsea's attention flitted to the doorway – an elderly doctor had entered unnoticed. He held a clipboard in his hand and was leafing through a pile of papers.

"Please call me Chelsea. Or Ms. Daniels, if you prefer."

"Chelsea, then." He fiddled with his glasses, resettling them on the bridge of his nose, "If you'd be so kind as to lift your shirt, I'll have a nurse set you up for an ultrasound. We'll see what's going on in your uterus."

Raven raised her hand as if they were in a classroom, "Do you think there's a problem?"

The doctor cocked any eyebrow at her, "Better safe than sorry, right?"

Raven was glad she didn't blush easily; she had let her worry get ahead of her logic, "Right."

While a buxom blonde nurse slathered cold substance onto Chelsea's stomach, Chelsea turned her thoughts to the small life inside of her. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine what her daughter would be like. Finding this a nearly impossible task, she sighed deeply.

There were just too many variables and Chelsea had learned not to count her chickens before they hatch. She ought to let the girl be born before planning out the child's life. This urged a small chuckle from her, followed by a shiver as the frigid matter tickled her stomach.

The doctor took his place at Chelsea's stomach and started the ultrasound. The image came up on the viewing screen. The baby appeared fine to the untrained eye, and Chelsea let out the breath she had been holding. The doctor, however, was less than pleased by what he saw.

"We're going to have to get you in for a c-section." He announced, "The baby's twisted. We need to get her out before serious damage is done."

Raven nearly tripped over her feet as she rushed to Chelsea's side, "What?"

"We'll have her in surgery by tomorrow morning." The doctor promised. "It's the safest option for the baby – and the mother."

Chelsea rubbed her forehead, "What are the risks?"

"General surgery risks, of course. There is the danger that you could bleed out, but we haven't had a death related to this surgery in years. I can promise the best of surgical care. And the baby, well, we will try our best to get her out as safely and quickly as possible."

Raven bit her lip, "Are you going to do it, Chelsea?"

"I don't think I have much of a choice." She responded, despondent.

"It's truly for the best," the doctor responded. "You'll go into prep at seven."

When they were alone, Chelsea sniffled, letting her held back tears trickle down her face. Raven wiped them away with a gentle thumb. Now, more than ever, Raven knew she had to be strong.

"Chels, it's going to be okay. You heard the man. No accidents."

Chelsea squeezed her eyes shut, "But if something does happen… y'know… to me… Will you take care of her?"

"Don't talk like that Chelsea." Raven warned.

"Raven… I'm scared."

"It's okay to be scared…"

"Scratch that," Chelsea corrected, "I'm terrified."

Raven took her hand and rubbed the back of it in an attempt to bring Chelsea some comfort. "I'll sit with you all night if you want."

"I do."

The hours drifted by and both women fell into intermittent bouts of restless sleep. At three in the morning, Raven found herself quite awake and unable to even close her eyes. Before long she felt Chelsea's eyes on her.

"Chels, you need your rest. Go back to sleep."

"Raven." Chelsea's voice was low and worried.

"What?" Raven was at her bedside in a heartbeat.

"I have to tell you something. Before I go."

Raven gnawed on her upper lip, "I'll listen, girl."

Chelsea took a deep breath and reached for Raven's hand. She drew her best friend's hand to her lips and kissed it. "Thank you for everything."

Raven felt her hand heat up from the contact, "For you, I'd do anything."

"And that's why I love you." Chelsea whispered, unsure if Raven would glean the real meaning from her words. She pressed a second kiss to Raven's knuckles.

"I love you, too," Raven smiled, "You know that. Everything is going to be fine. I'll be right there when they wheel you out with that baby in your arms."

"I don't know if I'll get to hold her right away, Rae."

"Think positive thoughts, girl." Raven encouraged.

Chelsea slept more peacefully after that. Raven however couldn't fight the memories of her earlier dream. She couldn't stand the thought of losing Chelsea in a sea of blood and pain. A dream was not a vision, she reminded herself. There was no reason that her dream would even marginally come true.

She kept telling herself that as Chelsea was taken from her the next morning. She repeated it mentally as she paced in the waiting room. It ran circles inside her mind as the doctor approached her several hours later.

"Are you waiting for news about Ms. Daniels?"

Raven nodded, unable to speak.

The doctor reached out to touch her arm, "She's recovering right now, but she and the baby are fine. You can see her now, if you like."

"I like." Raven nodded emphatically.

The doctor led her through the maze of hallways, stopping in front of Chelsea's door. "She might not be very talkative, mind you."

"Gotcha. I'll do all the talking."

The doctor smiled and nodded, admitting her to the small, white room.

"Chelsea?" Raven tiptoed inside, peering at the limp form on the hospital bed.

"Rae…" Chelsea looked extremely tired, but otherwise fine.

"See, girl, no big. You're fine, the baby's fine. Life is good." Raven pulled a chair to Chelsea's bedside.

"I'm glad I'm not fat anymore," Chelsea chuckled. "Do I look good?"

Raven chose to ignore the fatigue lines and pale features of her bedridden buddy, "You've never looked better."

"I named her Robin."

"Beautiful." Raven set her hand on the metal railing of the bed. She was instantly pulled into a vision.

"_Robin! Robin stop that!" Raven could hear Chelsea's frantic calls from down the hall. She felt at home in her surroundings, though she didn't know where they were. It appeared to be a house of some sort – maybe it was Chelsea's new home._

_She walked into the room which housed a two-year-old Robin and a flustered Chelsea and smiled. Chelsea dropped the stuffed animal with which she was enticing her daughter to behave with and pecked a loving kiss on Raven's lips._

"_Missed you, love."_

"Raven?"

Chelsea's voice woke her from her dazed state. "Hmm?"

"Did you just… Have a vision?" Chelsea had missed seeing that goofy glazed look.

"Yeah." Raven grinned foolishly.

"What happened?"

Raven shut her eyes, savoring her vision a moment before speaking, "Robin was a toddler and a handful. You were lean and gorgeous. And we… we kissed."

Chelsea smiled, "I could have told you that was going to happen."

Raven eyed her suspiciously, "How would you know that?"

"Your interns have big mouths." Chelsea chuckled.

Raven relaxed, "I meant it when I said it earlier, Chels. I love you."

Chelsea beamed, "I love you, too."


	9. Finding the Necessities

**If this is posted, it means that I finally found the inspiration to finish, and got over the death of my flash drive (R.I.P. Eduardo). I know it's terribly late, and you can beat me with a snausage for it. So here it is. Since this is posted, the epilogue is probably up as well. So I hope to get this all out of the way so I can stop feeling guilty over this. After all, I know how this ends, but you don't.**

If someone had told Raven Baxter two months previous that her life was going to be as close to perfect as she'd ever imagined, she probably would have laughed. She probably would have rolled her eyes, scoffed, and waved it off. But now… Now her life was as close to perfect as she could hope for.

Every morning, for the past week, Raven would rise first and head to the kitchen, where she would start scrambling some eggs. The smell would eventually lure a scruffy Chelsea out of the bedroom, her pajamas generally a wrinkled mess, her hair matted from the pillow. She'd sniff the air and grin sleepily before heading into Raven's old office. The room, once crowded with paper and computer parts, had been converted into a makeshift nursery room.

While Chelsea was busy with the baby, Raven would set the table and feed the dog, waiting patiently for Chels to return. They would eat together, sometimes in a rather hurried fashion, and then Raven would run to the bathroom, clean up, and head into work. Chelsea would fasten the new deadbolt – locks changed just in case – and clean the breakfast dishes.

It was a daily routine that both women were very comfortable with.

Raven slumped down on her desk, glaring at the work in front of her with disdain. There was an invention, her brain reminded her gently, that would help get the work done faster. She smiled.

"Interns!" She hollered, "Assemble!"

Her three interns dropped their current work and hurried over. Maggie threw a mock salute and clicked her heels together.

"Ma'am, yes ma'am!"

Raven chuckled. "Thanks, Mags. Can you take this sketch and scan it into the computer. Put it into the folder labeled 'Rainy Day Wear'. Bella, if you could get me a coffee, oh!, that would be spectacular… And Sylvia, could you be a dear and get me the file from last year's Macy's order?"

As her interns scattered, Raven turned back to her computer screen. She clicked a few times and wrinkled her nose.

"Um, Miss Raven?" Sylvia swallowed audibly.

"Do you have the files already?"

Sylvia shook her head, placing an arm across the front of her body defensively, "I was just… Um… Are you… Can I… Friday?"

Raven raised an eyebrow, "Are you… asking me out?"

Sylvia flushed a brilliant red, "I meant… Er…."

Raven bit her lower lip. She didn't want to hurt her intern, but this petty crush could not go any further. "Want to see what I'm working on, Sylvia?"

The younger girl nodded and walked around the desk. When the screen was fully visible, she hesitated in her steps.

"You're working on a house?"

Raven shook her head, "I'm looking to buy a house. Or I should say, my girl friend and I are looking to buy a house so our daughter doesn't grow up in a cramped apartment. What do you think of this one?"

All the blood drained from Sylvia's face. She took a step backwards. "It looks… good… I'm going to go get those files for you, ma'am."

Raven watched Sylvia flee and shook her head slowly. She couldn't think of any easier way to turn the girl down. And no actual date had been proposed, so there was no ego to protect. There was ample opportunity for Sylvia to create a lie to protect herself. Raven just hoped the intern wouldn't quit – as bristly as she was to people she didn't like, Sylvia had a large potential in the fashion world and Raven wouldn't want it wasted.

As Raven returned to her house-hunt, Sylvia brushed brusquely past Maggie, hiding her face in her hands. She disappeared into the bathroom, causing Maggie to narrow her eyes suspiciously. After returning the sketch to Raven, she turned tail and rushed back to the background. Pausing outside, she considered her options. On one hand, Sylvia was always so uptight and bitter towards her. Maggie really disliked it when people were cold heartless robots. It was such a turn-off. But on the other hand, Sylvia was obviously upset and it went against Maggie's better nature to let anyone, no matter the personality, be so distraught and utterly alone.

"Um, Sylvia? Are you in here?"

Maggie peeked her head through the door before sliding into the tiled room. Sylvia didn't answer, but Maggie could hear hushed snuffles coming from inside one of the stalls.

"Sylvia…" Maggie whispered, her heart breaking slightly. She pushed on the door, only to find that it was locked, "Do you want to talk to me?"

Sylvia cleared her throat roughly, "Go away."

"Make me." Maggie challenged, hoping the confrontation would snap Sylvia out of it.

"Please just go away." Sylvia's words were strained now, on edge.

"No." Maggie replied firmly. "I'm not leaving until you make me."

For a few minutes there was silence in the bathroom, and Maggie sat down at the edge of the stall. She could see from underneath the door that Bella was leaning against the door. Taking a wild chance, she scooted through the two foot gap and into the stall. Bella leapt back, startled, and Maggie blocked the only exit.

"We could stand here all day, but I'm sure people will get the wrong idea," Maggie joked.

Bella stared at her like a deer in the headlights. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her face pale. "Why won't you leave me alone?"

"Because I can't, okay?"

Bella shook her head, "I've been terrible to you. You have no reason to be here."

"True." Maggie raised an eyebrow, "But if I left, you'd be alone, and I won't let that happen."

Sitting down on the toilet seat, Bella smiled sadly. She rubbed her cheek with a dainty finger. "You'll laugh."

"Let me guess." Maggie pursed her lips, "Did you try something with Miss Raven?"

Sylvia looked away and didn't speak.

"I so knew it. You like her."

"Yeah, but she doesn't want anything to do with me. What does that Chelsea girl have that I couldn't give Raven, too? Hell, I guess I'm not pregnant. Maybe I should get knocked up, see if I could get a date then." Bella began to spew, "It's just not fair! I've been here for so long, and she barely even notices me. And the one time I get the nerve up to ask something, she asks what I think of the house she's buying with her **girlfriend**. I'm such an idiot!"

Maggie's eyes widened. "You're not an idiot, Sylvia."

"And now… now I have to find an excuse for why I was asking about a Friday, so I don't look like a complete dunce." Her head ended up buried back in hands, "Otherwise… I…"

"Look, I've got an idea." Maggie wondered why she would do this. Why was her heart telling her this was right? "Tell Miss Raven that you need Friday off because you're setting up a special date for Friday evening that you need time for."

"Date? But she'll want to know with who!"

Maggie wiped her palms on her designer jeans, "Just tell her that we're going out."

Sylvia stared at Maggie blankly, "Us?"

"Yeah, me and you. Come on. It'll be fun."

Gnawing on her upper lip, Sylvia thought it over. Maggie had just turned it from a fake date into a real one with one sentence. Would it be that bad? Why was Maggie even trying? Was there… was there something there?

"Yeah… Okay…" Sylvia gave in. Her shoulders slumped, "I guess I appreciate this. Thanks."

Maggie grinned impishly. She held out her hand. "We should probably get you cleaned up."

Sylvia took the hand gratefully, and stood. Jerking her hand, Maggie pulled Sylvia all the way up, stepped in close, and stole a chaste kiss. Thrown off balance, Sylvia stumbled after Maggie to the sink and splashed water on her face.

"What was that about?"

"I was just curious." Maggie responded, drying her hands.

"And?" Sylvia hated the hope in her voice.

"And I think our date will be great."

Maggie pranced out the bathroom, leaving a stunned Sylvia in her wake.

Meanwhile, Raven found a house that looked promising. A small, three bedroom, two bath house, half an hour by train into the downtown area. It had a good sized yard and was in a nice neighborhood. And when she watched the virtual tour, the living room just struck her as perfect. Like she'd seen it before.

She was packing up to go home and share the good news with Chelsea when Sylvia reappeared at her side.

"Miss Raven, I never got to finish my question earlier."

Raven stiffened; the girl couldn't possibly still expect a date…? "Yes?"

"I need Friday off. I'm trying to put together a really nice date for… for Maggie… but I need some time to do it."

Raven relaxed, "Oh, no problem. You be nice to her, got it?"

Sylvia rolled her eyes, "Why don't you tell that to her?"

"She doesn't have a sharp tongue and a dry sense of humor." Raven chided.

Sylvia shrugged, "She asked me, not the other way around. So she knows what she's getting into."

Raven grinned, "Great. Well, have a good time Friday. See you tomorrow."

At home Raven was greeted with a small peck on the cheek from Chelsea and a slobbery kiss on the nose from Ralph. Both women were fairly bubbling with excitement.

"Okay, you first." Both exclaimed at once.

Raven sighed, "Me first. I bought us a house."

Chelsea's jaw dropped, "That is so cool! Where is it?"

"Nu-uh. Not until you tell me your news."

"I got the papers today." Chelsea clasped her hands in front of her, "It's official. I'm a single woman."

"With full custody?"

"Yes ma'am!" Chelsea was practically glowing.

Raven ushered her into the living room, "I found the house in my vision. It's got a yard, three bedrooms, a couple of bathrooms. It's not big, but I just know it's meant for us. It just felt right."

"I trust you to make a choice."

"How about you and I go out and celebrate?" Raven questioned, "I've got quite the story from the office today."

"Um, two month old baby?"

"Haven't you heard of babysitters?" Raven feigned shock. "You pay them obscene amounts of money for them to come and eat your food, watch your T.V. set, and ignore the screams of the child."

Chelsea pushed her shoulder gently, "Hey, Rae?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you." Chelsea leaned in close, "And I'm a free woman."

Raven smiled deviously, "Not for long…"

Chelsea eased a little closer, halting a scant millimeter away from Raven's lips. She could feel Raven's breath on her face, "I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay you for your kindness."

"I think we'll find a way." Raven, who could wait no longer, closed the distance.

It was a searing kiss, all the passion that Raven had been holding back since their graduation from high school met the new hungry desperation Chelsea had been holding. When they finally broke apart, Raven smirked.

"Damn, girl! I could get used to that!"


	10. Finding Closure

Here's the epilogue, friends

**Here's the epilogue, friends. Served fresh from my house to yours. It's short, but then again, it's just a small epilogue.**

Raven flipped a burger on the grill, and inhaled what she considered to be the heavenly smell from the Gods. It was a warm summer day, July 4th, as it were, and she was in charge of grilling the food for her and Chelsea's fourth of July party.

She glanced around, a smile dancing on her lips. Her guests were truly an very different mix than she would have thought possible. Chelsea's parents had flown in from San Francisco. Her own parents had come in from D.C.. Eddie had been found in Los Angeles, his music production company flourishing, and had brought his wife and two kids out. Cory had been rounded up, girlfriend in tow. Bella had brought her boyfriend, as well, and her other two interns had shown up together, much to her surprise. Despite such radically different personalities, Maggie and Sylvia had survived thus far together, and Raven was truly happy for them. The rest of her office had filtered in and out all day, and so had their new neighbors.

Chelsea was playing with little Robin in the front yard, helping their young daughter to put a square peg through a round hole. Chelsea insisted that Robin put whatever shape she wanted, wherever it was she wanted it.

"I refuse to tell my daughter to conform!" Chelsea had joked when Raven first brought the subject up.

Everyone had just loved their house. And Chelsea could feel the good vibes it held. She was just waiting for those years to pass until Raven's vision came true. They had gotten engaged only a few weeks back, and couldn't wait to hold a ceremony.

She glanced around their gathering and spotted the other toddler in the group – Eddie's son Gregory was only a few months older than Robin.

"Hey, Eddie, bring Greg over here," she hollered.

"Chels, you think they'll get married some day?" Eddie waggled his eyebrows.

"I think we should betroth them." Chelsea replied solemnly.

"You do realize she's trying to get a triangle into the square hole?" Eddie questioned.

"Fascist!"

Eddie rolled his eyes. "So how ya been?"

Chelsea shrugged, "I'm great."

"So, you and Rae, huh? And here I thought I would be the best friend that wooed her."

"Yeah. She's been really… spectacular." Chelsea held back tears.

"You two are perfect for each other," Eddie agreed. "And the daughter?"

"My ex-husband's. Raven adopted her, though." Chelsea grinned mischievously, "I'm trying to think of a good way to ask Raven if she's ready for kiddo number two."

Raven sneezed and glanced at her fiancé. She could almost smell trouble on the breeze. But, she figured, that was okay. Chelsea and her, they could handle anything if they had each other for support.


End file.
